Thai food for newbies: Tom Yum

When one thinks of Thai food – one will think of Tom Yum (Tom Yam) as the first choice. Why? Because it is the most famous and tasty of all! You might have heard Tom Yum Gung or Tom Yum Gai. In fact, it is the same dish with different choices of meat you chose to include (Gung means shrimp, and Gai means chicken).

What is Tom Yum?

Tom Yum is a clear spicy and sour soup with a rich fresh scent of herb. It is a common dish in Southeast Asian Countries which means you will find it in Lao, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia and Singapore.

But you will find the authentic Tom Yum in Thailand and Lao, as countries like Malaysia and Singapore will use this term to refer to other kinds of spicy soup as well.

Tom Yum Gung

What are ingredients?

This clear soup is made of many fresh herbs including lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and galangal. The heart of this menu is the flavourful condiment of lime juice, fish sauce, and crushed chili peppers. Add meat that you like which can be from seafood, chicken or even pork. Then add mushroom of your choice, however; I would suggest straw mushroom and Sajor-caju Mushroom for the original taste.

Tom Yum materials

Why should I try?

Obviously, it is delicious – rich in taste and a fresh scent of herbs that win it all. It is not dull like any other soup as it has options for soup that can be clear one and creamy one, but still sour and spicy. Exciting, isn’t it?

How to eat?

Like other Thai food, Tom Yum has to go with steamed jasmine rice and a Thai omelette. That is the perfect set menu that you are going to love.

Where can you find one?

Tom Yum noodle

If you can find Thai restaurants in any other places in this planet, you will definitely find one Tom Yum menu there. However, the best place to have one is obviously Thailand.

It is so famous that it comes in instant noodle which make it easier to find and cook.

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